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Daniel Beals: NDP Candidate NomineeStatement on the Federal New Democrat Nomination in Kingston & the Islands

January 25, 2015

Friends, Sisters and Brothers, and Community Members:

I had the honour of representing the Kingston & the Islands New Democrats in the 2011 federal election and it was an experience that truly changed my life.

As a result of that experience, I understand the tremendous responsibility of a representative to be accessible and accountable to all members of our community. I understand the challenge of trying to reach out and articulate a social democratic message of a fairer and more just economy. Most importantly, I understand the courage and conviction that will be required to move our country in a new direction.

Like so many of you, I have spent the last 10 years watching our Conservative federal government cut public services, put pipelines over communities and our constitution, and tear down the institutions that have made this country liveable for Canadians. The list of affected issues and institutions is long: universal healthcare, job creation, pensions, environmental protection, Status of Women, Employment Insurance, Corrections Services Canada, Statistics Canada, Canada Post, Elections Canada, CBC…It will take years to fully assess the damage that has been done.

But as we look to the future of our country and our communities, it is not enough to simply fix what the Conservatives have broken. In 2015, Canada’s New Democrats will have an opportunity to put forward a vision to strengthen our institutions, protect our environment, renew our economy, and change the relationship with our elected representatives to one based on trust and inclusion in all levels of decision-making.

To make that kind of lasting change in our government, we will need to elect the kind of government we have never seen before in this country. We will need New Democrat principles and ideas, and we will need New Democrat Members of Parliament in Ottawa who are willing to show courage and resolve under intense political pressure.

Over the past 4 years, I have eagerly waited for the chance to step forward and become the next NDP candidate for Kingston & the Islands. It was a responsibility that I was willing to seek through a contested nomination, but at the time of the nomination announcement, no other nominees have stepped forward to contest the candidacy. I am humbled by this vote of confidence and I thank all of you who have reached out to me to express your support.

We have a great challenge ahead of us and a great opportunity. Our work will begin this coming Friday, January 30th at 7pm at the Ongwanada Community Centre and I invite you to join me and help me by sharing your ideas for the campaign and your hope for a new direction for our country.

In 2015 we have another chance to do things differently for this riding and for the country. I want to work with community members to make that change a reality, and I ask all Kingstonians to give me the opportunity to earn their trust and redefine how representation can work better for everyone involved.

President of the Kingston & the Islands New Democrats and 2011 federal candidate Daniel Beals issues the following statement on the recent announcement that Kingston & the Islands MP Ted Hsu will not be seeking reelection in 2015:

“It was with great surprise that I read the news this morning on Ted Hsu’s blog. As a parent and someone who has chosen a public life, I am greatly moved by his decision to spend more time with his family. As a politician and community representative, I am moved to thank him for the time that he has given to public service.

Public life is a double-edged sword. On the one side, there are very few vocations where you are awarded so much credibility and have so much weight put on your words. It is incredibly validating in that way. On the other side, you are asked in a very real way to give up your privacy, your time and your emotional energy to the community and so many demands outside of your family. This is a sacrifice and a very tough balancing act.

I have known Ted Hsu going back before the 2010 Liberal nomination and he has always been very thoughtful about both sides of public life. I believe that he understood the sacrifice he was making on behalf of the people of Kingston & the Islands in 2011, and I believe that he is making an equally thoughtful and conscientious decision now.

I thank him for his honesty and his thoughtfulness and for his time in public service. I thank him for serving with dignity and I wish him and his family the very best.”